Ludhiana: Protest against CETP outlets over Buddha Nullah pollution paralyses traffic for 8 hours
Commuters voice frustration as long queues of vehicles dot city roads, situation eased late evening; police officials had blocked the roads for diversion at some points near the protest site.
A massive protest under the banner of the Kale Pani Da Morcha and various farm unions brought traffic to a standstill for over eight hours on the national highway-95 near the Verka Milk Plant, Ferozepur Road, Ludhiana, on Tuesday. The protesters demanded closure of the outlets of “illegally” operating common effluent treatment plant (CETP), accusing the state government of ignoring repeated calls for action.
Traffic on the national highway and adjoining routes, including Nanaksar Gurudwara towards Octroi Post, was severely disrupted initially around noon. The situation worsened in the afternoon when protesters blocked slip roads to elevated bridges, cutting off movement entirely. Commuters, including emergency vehicles like ambulances, were stranded for hours, causing widespread frustration.
Some of the protesters reached the Tajpur road CETP plants and raised slogans besides blocking the Tajpur road for a few hours. Police officials had already blocked the route for diversion.
Ramandeep Singh, a commuter, said, “The commuters were inconvenienced majorly as the movement on the highway and roads nearby got disrupted. Even ambulances were stuck for some time. If the police and the administration were aware about this protest, they should have come up with alternative route plans.”
The protest, led by activist Amitoj Mann after other leaders were detained by police, saw sloganeering against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government along the highway. Protesters alleged that the government was protecting the polluting industrial units instead of enforcing environmental laws.
“The city resembles a police cantonment,” remarked a member of the Kale Pani Da Morcha. “Barricades, water cannons and checkpoints were set up across Ludhiana to suppress our peaceful protest. This is a crackdown on environmental justice,” he added.
The agitation eased only after the protesting leaders and officials reached an agreement. Amarjit Singh Bains, additional deputy commissioner (general), said, “The Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) assured that a 15 MLD CETP plant would be shut within two days while decisions regarding two other CETPs, allegedly under National Green Tribunal (NGT) stay orders, will be addressed after legal review in seven days.”
Deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Jaskiran Singh Teja said, “While the protest caused significant disruption, we managed to divert traffic later in the evening. The protest was called off after an agreement with the administration and with us.”
Normal traffic movement resumed by late evening, but the incident raised questions about the administration’s preparedness for handling large-scale demonstrations.
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